Saratoga News

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Photograph by George Sakkestad

Artist Red Wolf explains the cutting edge technology he uses to create his art to visitors at his booth at the Saratoga Rotary Art Show.

Show of Shows

Saratoga Rotary Art Show, and maybe the best yet

By Shannon Burkey

The sun shone, the music played and the art was plentiful as nearly 30,000 people turned out for the 50th anniversary Saratoga Rotary Art Show on Sunday at West Valley College.

"We seem to have created a lot more excitement this year than in previous years. We had some goals we set last year to make this year more fun and to get more community participation," said chairman Bryan Knysh. "And everyone I've talked to said they are having a great time. The music is great, people are dancing and you couldn't ask for better weather."

Each year, roughly 175 artists are chosen out of nearly 500 at a try-out a few months in advance of the event and the organizers are careful to make sure a wide spectrum of art, such as photography, painting, sculpture, jewelry and crafts, is represented.

"We try to pick top quality artists and we try to pick new artists each year to keep it fresh," Knysh said. Each year roughly 30 percent of the artists are new to the show.

And though art is the theme of the day, the real focus of the event is charity. The art show is the biggest fundraiser the club holds each year and the show raises an average of $100,000 for various charitable organizations throughout the Bay Area.

"Raising money is the whole purpose of the event," said show committee member Nann Miller. "All events have a purpose and ours is to assist as many people in the local community as we can."

Knowing the money raised at the show is going to a good cause is one of the reasons artist Margie Lopez Read enjoys participating in it. Art is a hobby for Read and she said she usually gives the money she makes from her art sales to charity anyway.

"It's a good match for me," Read said.

But the Placerville resident has another reason for making the long trip to Saratoga the past four years.

"I grew up in Saratoga and remember going to the show as a kid," she said. "I used to love to go to the show with my family back then, so it's a real treat to now be in it."

As people took a break from the art, there were plenty of other things to keep them busy. For the first year, the show included a dance floor and music saluting the big band era with five Bay Area big bands.

This year's show also marked the debut of "Saratoga Idol," the city's own version of the popular television singing competition show. The 13 idol contestants who competed at the show were whittled down from 100 at a previous audition.

The performers all captured the audience's attention with their performances, but it was 11-year-old Thia Magia from Hayward who captured the judges' votes and walked off with a $1,000 prize donated by Conrado Home Builders.

"She was just amazing, and she has such powerful stage presence," said Saratoga resident and Rotarian Yvonne Lampshire. "There were some very talented people there, but this gal was so good."

With crowds the entire day, the Saratoga Rotary Art Show is proof some things do get better with age.

"We've had so much fun," said Campbell resident Tamara Fink. "My husband and I come every year and there's always good art and entertainment, but they've really made it great this year. We'll definitely be back next year."